The incident happened near the George Washington Bridge in New Jersey. Fernandez struck on overhead beam on an overpass after sticking his head out the escape hatch, while his friends watched in horror.

"He just made everybody smile," friend Cheyenne Coco said. "He never let anybody be upset. And he just always liked to joke around. We always had a good time with him."

Evidence of Fernandez's popularity was seen in the line of mourners at Monday's wake. The line stretched around the funeral home on Woodhaven Boulevard.

Designer Limousines, the company that owns the party bus, says they had two employees on the bus.

They say their emergency hatches were compliant with the law, but that a poor decision made by the students to open the hatch is what led to this accident.